Accompaniments to Soups

Small pastries such as cheese straws can be served separately. Rice, noodles or spätzle are added to the soup itself. Small choux puffs may be added, but at the last possible moment so that they stay crisp. Perhaps the simplest accompaniment of all, and the most frequently abused, is the croûton. When properly made it is a welcome addition to a variety of soups, from rustic fish and broth-based soups to velvety bisques. Croûtons can be the traditional fried cubes of bread or simply cubes of toast. Alternatively, whole slices of French bread or rolls can be dried or toasted in the oven to make croûtes. These can be rubbed with a clove of garlic, in the style of Mediterranean cooking, for fish soups such as bouillabaisse or Aigo saou. Tiny cocktail crackers are a quick alternative. For almost any soup, crusty bread is an excellent accompaniment.